Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-04-14
RUNNING MIRO pERr-
4 widespread Sort OF selnshness VVhIs7
Ruins Many Happy Homes.

Widespread Sort OF Selhshneas which.
Ruins Many Happy Homes.
In spite of the healthier tone exfst-
ing there is still too much indifference
to debt afoat, and among other re-
forms sorely needed is that of the pub
lie verdict on those who spend beyond
their means to pay. and so make others
suffer for their pleasures.
In this we are sorry to sax that
women. who ought to be the great
torch-bearers of virtue, and who In
some directions assume to themselves
that Office, TO the absolute extinction
of men. are to the full as reprehensi-
BILE as men, and perhaps more so. The
curse of social emulation and personal
jealousy lies heavily on them; and that
terrible striving to appear richer tho
they are, which racks society from end
to end, centers in them more than IN
men. Very few women who are not
misery are content to be simple-tO
live well within their means, having
all things in harmony and all things in
sufficiency, those which are unseen az
well as those which are visible. Most
of them prefer an outside grandeur
with skimped and dilapidated inte-
rior, SO that the world to which they
sacrifice shall commend and perhaps
envy-seeing nothing of the flaws be-
low the surface. What the family feels
does not count; what the servants say
is not heard; of self-respect there is no
question; of the sentiment of thorough
ness also is there none. The whole
strength of the management goes to-
make a show-to have an occasional
display-and the debt by which this
is brought about troubles the con-
science of the lady as little as the dis
comfort of her family disturbs her
feelings. Her friends do such and
such things in such and such a style;
SO must she. She puts her self-respect
in emulation-not in sincerity, not in
thorouShness - and holds herself
worthy of her position in proportion
to the extent to which she spreads its
pretense and increases its funda-
mental rottenness. If she gives 9
dinners she goes beyond her home
from the outside. A plain, well-coolled,
simple and succulent repast, such as
she could accomplish without aid, and
such as would delight her guests,
would be a confession of comparative
poverty which she could not be induced
to make. Wherefore she spends more
in a bad imitation of first-class cooking
than her finances can properly afford,
and goes into de bit for the margin.
What is true of housekeeping is truer
still of personal expenses-the millineY's
bill and the dressmaker s-with the
thousand little fads and fancies dear to
the feminine mind and destructive to
the feminine sense Of honor. Song
women have neither conscience nor
compassion-neither thought nor feel
ing for the poor creatures whom they
mulct-the victims whom they cheat.
One runs up bill with her laundress
and quietly ruins a Woodworking
woman who has nothing but her own
labor between herself and starvation.
But our fine lady, who does nothing
more arduous than dress, paint her
face, firt and dine out, uses her in
come on things that show and ignores
those that do not. Hence she runs in
to debt with her laundress; who dares
not offend her for fear of losing every
thing-with her smaller tradespeoplS
and with her servants-but she pays
large sums to the florist who will
not leave so much as n bunch of violets
unpaid, to the large shops which de- {.
mand cash down, and to the wine mer-
chants whose orders are thanked by a
request for check and not executed
until the quid pro quo is RENTED. A
room like a tropical bower-a well-ap-
pointed carriage for her airings-wine
of fine brand for connoisseurs-these
are of the first necessity for a SPEND
thrift lady, who makes the little trades
folks pay, now by their distress and
now by their completed ruin. for the
fineries, which, according to her, are
the very sum and substance of her
ladyhood. All, how many ruined homes
and desolated lives these thoughtless,
selfish, sclf-indulgent people have
Queen.